Our time in the Roussillon has been like a long road trip where each new journey builds upon the previous one. There are no conclusions or lessons to be drawn. Instead, we let our curiosity guide us, we let time take its course, we let the vines and the wines lead the way... seeking the true expression of our terroir. Sun, wind, drought, stones ... are no longer obstacles to our wines. Light is not a barrier to freshness, ripeness is not only a matter of sugar, and heat has nothing to do with power. Our goal is to make distinctive wines, not to make the best Roussillon wines. When we were younger, we made warm-climate wines, now we make soil wines. The sense of place is a hallmark of our wines.
We moved from Montner to Latour-de-France in 2014. A new milestone for "Le Roc des Anges" and "Les Terres de Fagayra". The design of our brand new home was inspired from old square-shaped farms. Here, the seasons are very distinct and often extreme. The courtyard protects us from the frequent strong winds; the massive stones protect us from the blistering summer heat. Movement is everywhere, from the structure lines to the building materials. That was essential to us. The underground wine cellar is set on a Sacred Pathway. The house is surrounded by wide-open spaces, it is lively, the dogs are always outside, the children play and explore...The natural sunlight sets the pace of daily life; it offers both a peaceful and work-friendly environment, a place where we can take our time... at last!
"Terres de Fagayra" for our fortified wines (Franceʼs "vins doux naturels"), "Le Roc des Anges" for our other wines. Two different names under a joint venture, working together in the vineyard as well as in the winery.
Six years have passed in Montner. Time has moved on, and so have we. While our convictions have stayed the same, our perspective of winemaking has changed. It can be summed up in these words: "knowing how to do" means little without « knowing how to be ». Discipline and skills give the wines sharpness and straightforwardness; our sensitivity, instinct and freedom shape their character.
Stéphane joined me at Roc des Anges in 2008. There were now two of us; it was a new beginning for the estate. We moved forward, side by side, slowly but methodically. No clear recipe but clear convictions: the essence lies in nature; the place brings energy to the wine; the light of Roussillon shines but does not burn.
These principles naturally led us to biodynamic farming.
That same year, Stéphane also went "secretly" looking for vines in the Maury area. One day he took me to see some parcels, and we knew right away that these marly-schist and limestone-schist soils were singular. We named our Maury "Les Terres de Fagayra".
We moved to the Roussillon right after graduation in 2000. I worked a few months with Gérard Gauby. What I learned from him went beyond science: he taught me a winemaking philosophy.
Stéphane took over the technical management of a famous estate in Maury; I myself went looking for vines for our estate project. Some parcels in Roussillon reminded me a lot of Côte-Rôtie. And one in particular, planted to carignan on a vein of quartz: a white-soil hill surrounded by black schists. The lieu-dit was called Roc Blanc (French for « white rock ») due to this picturesque, natural vein of quartz.
"Le Roc des Anges" stemmed from this duality. This was in February 2001, I was 23 years old. I found a small winery in Tautavel.
We share a passion for wine and horses. It shaped and defined who we are.
I grew up in the countryside of my native Grenoble, spending my childhood and teenage years surrounded by Condrieu and Côte-Rôtie vineyards. My parents loved wine. The family dinners paved the way, the rest is history...
Stéphane grew up in the countryside of Normandy. He was a very independent child, always riding his bike, going fishing and coming home late at night; a lot of his time was also spent helping out on the neighbouring farm.
The agronomy school of Montpellier is where we met; the horse club is what sealed our relationship. On Sundays, we would go on trips around the Roussillon area, far from everything. Not as tourists but as vine enthusiasts, we were quite impressed.
The essence lies in nature,
the place brings energy to the wine,
the light of Roussillon shines
but does not burn.
The house is surrounded
by wide-open spaces, it is lively,
the dogs are always outside,
the children play and explore...
We moved to the Roussillon right after graduation in 2000. I worked a few months with Gérard Gauby. What I learned from him went beyond science: he taught me a winemaking philosophy.
Stéphane took over the technical management of a famous estate in Maury; I myself went looking for vines for our estate project. Some parcels in Roussillon reminded me a lot of Côte-Rôtie. And one in particular, planted to carignan on a vein of quartz: a white-soil hill surrounded by black schists. The lieu-dit was called Roc Blanc (French for « white rock ») due to this picturesque, natural vein of quartz.
"Le Roc des Anges" stemmed from this duality. This was in February 2001, I was 23 years old. I found a small winery in Tautavel.
We share a passion for wine and horses. It shaped and defined who we are.
I grew up in the countryside of my native Grenoble, spending my childhood and teenage years surrounded by Condrieu and Côte-Rôtie vineyards. My parents loved wine. The family dinners paved the way, the rest is history...
Stéphane grew up in the countryside of Normandy. He was a very independent child, always riding his bike, going fishing and coming home late at night; a lot of his time was also spent helping out on the neighbouring farm.
The agronomy school of Montpellier is where we met; the horse club is what sealed our relationship. On Sundays, we would go on trips around the Roussillon area, far from everything. Not as tourists but as vine enthusiasts, we were quite impressed.
"Terres de Fagayra" for our fortified wines (Franceʼs "vins doux naturels"), "Le Roc des Anges" for our other wines. Two different names under a joint venture, working together in the vineyard as well as in the winery.
Six years have passed in Montner. Time has moved on, and so have we. While our convictions have stayed the same, our perspective of winemaking has changed. It can be summed up in these words: "knowing how to do" means little without « knowing how to be ». Discipline and skills give the wines sharpness and straightforwardness; our sensitivity, instinct and freedom shape their character.
Stéphane joined me at Roc des Anges in 2008. There were now two of us; it was a new beginning for the estate. We moved forward, side by side, slowly but methodically. No clear recipe but clear convictions: the essence lies in nature; the place brings energy to the wine; the light of Roussillon shines but does not burn.
These principles naturally led us to biodynamic farming.
That same year, Stéphane also went "secretly" looking for vines in the Maury area. One day he took me to see some parcels, and we knew right away that these marly-schist and limestone-schist soils were singular. We named our Maury "Les Terres de Fagayra".
Our time in the Roussillon has been like a long road trip where each new journey builds upon the previous one. There are no conclusions or lessons to be drawn. Instead, we let our curiosity guide us, we let time take its course, we let the vines and the wines lead the way... seeking the true expression of our terroir. Sun, wind, drought, stones ... are no longer obstacles to our wines. Light is not a barrier to freshness, ripeness is not only a matter of sugar, and heat has nothing to do with power. Our goal is to make distinctive wines, not to make the best Roussillon wines. When we were younger, we made warm-climate wines, now we make soil wines. The sense of place is a hallmark of our wines.
We moved from Montner to Latour-de-France in 2014. A new milestone for "Le Roc des Anges" and "Les Terres de Fagayra". The design of our brand new home was inspired from old square-shaped farms. Here, the seasons are very distinct and often extreme. The courtyard protects us from the frequent strong winds; the massive stones protect us from the blistering summer heat. Movement is everywhere, from the structure lines to the building materials. That was essential to us. The underground wine cellar is set on a Sacred Pathway. The house is surrounded by wide-open spaces, it is lively, the dogs are always outside, the children play and explore...The natural sunlight sets the pace of daily life; it offers both a peaceful and work-friendly environment, a place where we can take our time... at last!